If you need to install Ubuntu on your Dell PC there are a few things you will need to decide and have before you proceed with the guide below.

Note: If you install an operating system other than the one that shipped with your system, then you do so at your own risk. Dell can't certify that the hardware will be compatible and we may not be able to support the system in that configuration.

Be aware Dell does not supply the majority of drivers for Ubuntu as all the required drivers are bundled as part of the Operating System install media. That's why we recommend you check your system is compatible with the install media version from Canonical.

Have you checked your system type is one of those certified by Canonical as being suitable for Ubuntu?

If not, then please go to the Canonical site and check if your model has been tested by Canonical and is suitable.

If you have and it's supported on this list then carry on.

Note: If your system did not ship with Ubuntu and you have an issue that requires Technical Support Assistance to resolve. You may be asked to return the system to the condition it shipped from Dell and advise if the issue continues at that point. If it doesn't then there would be limited support possible at that point.

Have you got a copy of the latest DVD or USB installation media from canonical? These will include the latest updates and fixes for this operating system.

For those who purchased their system from Dell with Ubuntu already installed, there are recovery images on their system and if fitting a new hard drive they can download an installation image by going to the Dell Support site and entering the systems service tag or express service code and selecting Drivers and Downloads.

The type or format of your storage media can affect how you would go about installing Ubuntu on your PC. That can be anything from installing on one of the new M2 cards, to installing on a standard SATA hard disk drive, to installing on the same SATA hard disk drives in an Intel Matrix RAID configuration. Check that the hardware of your PC will allow you to make the kind of install you need or read through the articles linked below to get an idea of how to change your installation method to accommodate your system hard ware :

The difference between Legacy and UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) BIOS setups, can be the difference between an install succeeding or failing. Please check out the linked articles below for further information on the subject :

Ubuntu as with any other operating system is constantly looking to improve and better it's usage and performance. What is different with Ubuntu is that you have the option of two updates at any time :

The first is the most recent LTS (Long Term Support) release.

This update is available every two years and is fully supported by Canonical with updates for five years. It's considered a tested and stable build.

The second is the most recent Normal release.

This update is available every 6 months and is only supported by Canonical with updates for 9 Months. These normal releases are considered to be cutting edge but can have issues because of this. These builds are usually used by testers and developers.

If you are looking instead to upgrade to a new version of Ubuntu, then please check out the article linked below :